type of work

WORK IN HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION

The health care field is one of constant growth and change . As the face of health care changes , through privatization , the influence of HMOs and individuals with doctorates of nursing practice challenging medical doctors in some fields of care , the health care profession can be a volatile place indeed . That volatility not only increases the number of opportunities open to the health care professional , but it also makes the health care industry an exciting place to be in the upcoming decades

Available Opportunities

According to

the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2007 ) a approximately 248 ,000 positions were available to health care administrators in 2004 . Continued rapid growth is expected to continue until 2014 (pars . 24-25

Working as a Health Care Administrator

Health care administrators have opportunities largely divided between hospitals and nursing care facilities . These facilities are classified by size . Administrators in large facilities often have assistant administrators working as direct reports , who handle the daily decision making in their particular areas such as nursing , medical records , and so on . Administrators of small facilities are more involved in day-to-day activities , including personnel management , admissions , and even in resident care (pars . 4-5

Necessary Education

Careers in health care administration require an individual to have at least a bachelor 's degree for entry-level positions in smaller facilities (par . 19 . Larger facilities usually require a master 's degree or higher for these positions . These same degrees may also be needed for advancing at smaller facilities . Jobs in health care administration health are often open to such individuals or individuals who have risen through the ranks of other areas in the industry and have received special training in administration tasks (par . 19

Pros and Cons

Due to the expanding job market in the health care field , in large part due to the aging of the American public , many jobs will be available in the future . Health care administrators work long hours , in part due to the around the clock nature of the field . In addition , travel to attend meetings or to inspect other facilities might add to the number of expected work hours . As with any job in the health care industry , this career path has the possibility of being highly stressful . Health care administrators may or may not share an office with others of their staff (Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2007 , pars . 14-15

Salary and Benefits

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2007 ) the annual salaries for health care administrators range from approximately 41 ,000 to approximately 117 ,000 , with a median salary of about 67 ,000 . This median varies between facilities and services , starting at about 60 ,000 for home health care services to about 87 ,000 for individuals who work for the Federal Government (Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2007 , par . 31 .Analysis

The health care industry appears to be a good one to enter during the next seven or so years . The industry will continue to broaden with the introduction of new technology and improvements...